Anyone have HDTV on AT&T Broadband in Seattle (1 Viewer)

I had AT&T Broadband install digital cable. They also have Showtime and HBO in HD. Shrek looked great in HD. I currently ahve to use two boxed which is a pain, but they are promising that they will have the new single HD cable box out next month, and all the local affiliates in HD next quarter. Does anyone in the Seattle area with AT&T Broadband and HD have any thoughts so far?

Hey Adam, I don't have HDTV but a friend does. He has Direct-TV but they only offer two HDTV channels (HBO and HD-Net, you should see baseball in HD!). He gets the run-a-round when he asks Direct-TV about local channels. He bought an antenna that clips to his dish, but it is actually worse than the $20 rabbit ears he also bought. (BTW-he lives near Northgate).

Have you found anything on-line where AT&T "promises" that they will start offering local broadcasting?

I can't find anything on-line where AT&T is showing that they carry any HD signals, but they do carry HBO and Showtime. The installer told me that they are hoping for local channels by the end of the year, but it might not be until sometime first quarter 2003. They have lost too many of the high-end customers to DISH and Direct-TV. I don't get any off the air signals, and cable saves me the cost of buying HD tuners for my TVs.

So Adam - you have to use two converter boxes for HD? Is one just for HD and one for regular digital cable? How much extra does HD cost?

Yes, at this time you need two boxes. The first is a regular digital cable box. The serial port on it is then connected to a HD decoder box, that has component outputs connected to your HDTV. I have two HD decoder boxes, on on my last statement they charges me an additional $9.60 a month for both. There is no extra charge for the HD channels, you just need to have HBO or Showtime the get the HD channel.

$9.60? Im only being charge $4.80. Wonder if he has to do where you live at???

Do you have one HD decoder box? I have two HD decoder boxes, one for each set.

oh. I do only have 1.

Is it the motorola 5100?

If so are regular digital cable channels viewable through the component outputs, or only HD channels. i am hoping that I only need one video connection.

It gets complicated in a hurry, doesn't it? For my needs, the opposite would be better. I'd like a box that only puts the HD channels through component and passes the rest on through S-video (so I can run it through the Tivo). But realistically I think I'd need to split the signal and have one box for Tivo and one for HD. Ugh.

The one box solution (Moto 5100) has S out too. If everything was sent out compoinent you could hook that up to the TV, and send the on HD signals to the S out which could go to the Tivo. I tried to find out from the cable company. The rep would put me on hold after every question, to ask someone which didn't inspire confidence. Her final answer was "the installer will hook it up for you".

Adam_G
No, its not the Moto 5100. AT&T states that it will be sometime in Jan. when that box will be available.